


Heaven

by All_The_Monsters



Series: 16 Glenya Requests [5]
Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Injured Gleb, Nurse Anya, WWII AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 06:38:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18089327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_The_Monsters/pseuds/All_The_Monsters
Summary: Request: Anya is a nurse and meets Gleb after he gets severely injured in battleA/N: I took the liberty of making this a WWII AU as well."I never did get to tell you what Heaven looked like." Gleb tilted his head before placing the newspaper down on the table and standing to place his empty tea cup in the sink."Oh? And what did Heaven look like?" Anya quirked her brow."This."





	Heaven

Anya sighed as she entered the ICU, ready to finish another harrowing set of rounds on the patients. Opening the curtains to the last bay and closing them behind her Anya began her last check up. Looking up from the clip board Anya found herself looking at the face of a sleeping man she'd never seen before. Picking up his charts she read he name. Gleb Vaganov. Looking back up at the man, who's name she now knew to be Gleb, she made her diagnosis easily and quickly. From the boils and sore on his exposed skin and the irritation around his closed eyes Anya could tell he'd been a victim to mustard gas. He must've gotten to the hospital sometime in the night, which meant he'd become ill fairly recently. They'd need to watch and make sure his airways didn't close up due to swelling.

No wonder he was in the ICU, Anya thought shaking her head and sighing. Moving carefully as not to wake him Anya began her check up. Placing her first and middle finger on his wrist Anya held up her right hand to look at her watch and measured Gleb's pulse.The sleeping soldier began to stir as Anya had wrapped the cuff of a sphygmomanometer around his arm to take his blood pressure. 

"Easy." Anya mumbled placing a hand on the waking man's shoulder. After noting Gleb's blood pressure and writing it down on his charts Anya turned her attention back to him. She caught his hand as he brought it up to rub at his eyes. "Don't." Anya warned, "You had a run in with mustered gas, rubbing your eyes will only make it worse. I'll go and fetch a cool cloth to help with the irritation and perhaps some saline wash, but that's all I can do I'm afraid." Anya released Gleb's hand from where she had held it down and left the bay momentarily before returning with with a bowl filled with cool water and a cloth. 

"Where am I?" Gleb muttered. 

"You're in the ICU at St. Peter's hospital." Anya answered as she dipped the cloth into the water and twisted it, ringing out the excess water. 

"ICU? I'm not that bad off, am I?" Gleb said and Anya could see him fighting to keep his hands at his side. 

"Like I said," Anya draped the damp cloth over his eyes, you've had a run in with mustard gas. We have to keep an eye on you to make sure nothing worse develops. Were you wearing a gas mask?" She asked. 

"No, but I managed to get a cloth over my mouth." Gleb answered. "Why?" 

"Have you been near mustard gas before?" Anya continued. 

"Not that I know of, why?" Anya could hear the edge in her patient's voice. 

"Nothing." Anya tried to reassure him. Anya went to move away but Gleb had reached out and caught by the wrist. Looking back at him Anya could see he had pulled the cloth covering his eyes down and was peering at her through squinted eyes.

"There's obviously something if I'm being kept in the intensive care unit." He spoke evenly. 

Sighing Anya relented and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Mustard Gas and create boils when it comes in contact with unprotected skin." At this she gestured to the few spots on his forehead and cheeks. We need to make sure that your airways don't fester up with boils as well, making you unable to breathe. That's why we need to keep you here. 

"There's no need to be worried though, you're looking as though you should be fine. You'll most likely be out of here in three days, and the irritation should  be gone gone by then." Anya explained. "You should put this back." Anya reached up and placed the cloth over Gleb's eyes once more. "In the meantime I'll go see if I can find some salve for your blisters." 

Anya left the medical bay once more and crossed the room to the medicine cabinet. Sifting through the bottles and jars Anya read through the labels until she found a cream to help with burns and blisters. Taking it and a saline eye wash Anya returned back to Gleb's bedside. 

"You know you're very lucky," Anya said as she prepared the salve and pulled the cloth away from Gleb's face. "that it's winter. Without the hat, gloves, and coat, your chemical burns would be much worse. "Sorry." Anya offered when Gleb flinched as she began to apply the salve to the blistered area's of his skin. As soon as she was finished Anya screwed the lid back onto to jar and pick up the saline wash and dropper. 

"I'm going to wash your eyes out with saline now, after I'm done you should be able to see much better. There's still going to be some irritation but, all in all, you should feel a little better." Anya explained as she sat back down on the bed and prepared to administer the saline.  "Look up." Anya instructed and Gleb obeyed. 

Anya was silent as she rinsed the soldier's eyes. Reaching over Anya grabbed a piece of cotton and began to dry up the saline that had spilled out of Gleb's eyes and onto his cheeks. 

"There," Anya announced, "you should be able to see better." Anya turned her back on Gleb and proceeded to clean up and throw away the trash and placed the salve and saline wash on the table next to the bed before looking back over at him. "If your eyes start burning again call for a nurse, and someone will be in in a couple of hours to reapply the salve. I'm am afraid that you'll have to stay here a little longer but you'll be out of there in no time." 

"Maybe I like it here." Gleb stated. 

Anya laughed. "What is it, the antiseptic smell? No, it's the screaming, wait, it's the lighting, isn't it?" Anya said in mock seriousness before smiling. 

"No, it's you." Gleb said, smiling crookedly back at her. "It's definitely you." 

"I bet you say that to all the nurses." Anya said looking at him pointedly before dipping the cloth into the basin of cool water once more.  

"No. Just you." Gleb said as he took the damp cloth that Anya offered him. 

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Vaganov?" Anya asked, a smile tugging at her lips. 

"Just your name." Gleb smiled at her. 

Anya hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm not supposed to do this," Anya said, "but I'm Anya." Anya reached out and placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed it gently and smiled at him. As she left the bay Anya turned back to Gleb once more. "If you need anything else my name's Nurse Romanov." 

Gleb watched as Anya left the room and finally placed the cloth back over his eyes. Anya continued about her day as normal, her mind kept busy with the constant inflow and outflow of wounded. She'd seen another man who fallen victim to the horrors of mustard gas and had died shortly after arriving. His entire body for the most part had been covered in boils. Anya had sent up a silent prayer at the thought of how lucky Gleb was. As she was getting ready to leave and had pulled on her coat her mind wondered back to Gleb and she found herself wandering through the corridors of the hospital and back to the ICU. 

"Hey," Anya muttered as she parted the curtains and peeked into the bay. "I'm just about to leave and just came up to check on you." 

Gleb looked up from his book and smiled cheekily. "Leave that much of an impression, did I?" 

Anya frowned and furrowed her brow at how raspy his voice sounded. 

"Are you feeling alright? Did someone come in and reapply the salve?" Anya asked.

"Yeah, though he wasn't nearly as pretty as you." Gleb said still smirked before his face contorted and he began coughing harshly. 

"Gleb?" Anya asked handing him a handkerchief to cough into. 

Her stomach dropped as Gleb pulled away the handkerchief to reveal it stained with spots of blood. 

"Gleb, I need you to open your mouth so I can look down your throat " Anya said with such seriousness that Gleb didn't dare question her. 

Her heart nearly stopped as she saw the blisters covering the back of his throat. Anya could tell that his throat had already begun to swell and knew if she didn't do something Gleb would die before the night was over. Rushing over to the curtains Anya ripped them open and quickly began to call for a doctor, her heart pounding harder than ever before. 

"I need a Doctor! Hurry!" She yelled before turning back to Gleb. 

"Anya, wha-?" Gleb tried to ask but broke off into another fit of coughs. 

"Shhh. It going to be okay, Gleb. You'll be alright." Anya pushed his dark hair back from his face as he struggled for air, despretly trying to stay calm, "We'll get you all fixed up and then we can go get a drink or something." Anya promised.

"How about tea? I know a nice little place steps from here." Gleb ground out. 

"That sounds lovely." Anya said stoking the stray lock of hair that had fallen forward again out of his face. She could see that if was getting hard and more painful for Gleb to breathe. 

"Doctor!" Anya called out again, panic rising and beginning to overwhelm her. She could feel the tears prickling in her eyes. "Doctor!" Anya shouted. 

Just then the curtains to the bay were thrown aside and a doctor rushed in. Anya found herself thrown aside and pulled back away from the dying man. People had died on her watch before, but it had never felt like this. Anya felt as though she couldn't breathe and found herself sinking to the floor, hands carding through her hair and trying to get a grip over herself. She'd never been one to believe in such fancies such as soul-mates or fate, but something tied her to this man, and though she'd only just met him, she certainly felt something for Gleb. 

Anya knew it was best to leave the doctors and on call nurses to their work and reluctantly left the room. She followed where her feet led, watching the ground and worrying her lip. When Anya finally looked up she found herself standing in front of the doors to the chapel. Anya reached out tentatively towards the handles on the doors before steeling her resolve and entering the hallowed place. Upon entry she was greeted by a large wall hanging of Christ on the crucifix at the head of the room. All around her saints adorned the walls and bibles sat in the small pews. 

Making her way up to the prayer benches at the altar Anya set her purse and coat down on the pew closest to her and stopped just before the prayer benches. Biting her lip again Anya wondered what she might say...she hadn't really gone to church besides Easter and Christmas since her family's death. Slowly Anya knelt and looked up to the crucifix once more before crossing herself and looking down, clasping her hands. 

Not sure where to begin Anya started with the Lord's Prayer. As soon as she had finished Anya simply let the words fall out of her mouth. "Dear Lord, please spare him," Anya begged, "he's so sweet and kind and he doesn't deserve this, not that anyone does. He's a good man, I'm sure of it, though I'm sure You are the only one who can truly judge that. Please take this suffering away from Gleb. Please, and let him live to see another year, in the name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen." She finished crossing herself once more. 

Rising up from the low bench Anya staggered back to the pew and stared blindly ahead, still pleading with her heavenly father in her head. She didn't realize she'd fallen asleep until she awoke early the next morning, her head resting on the arm draped over the side of the pew. Dazed Anya sat up and look around trying to gather her bearings. It took a short moment for Anya to realize she was in the hospital chapel, then the night before flooded back to her. Gleb, the mustard gas, Gleb not being able to breathe, Gleb dying.Vaguely her hand fell from her lap and knock something to the floor. Looking down Anya could see a bible staring back up at her. Slowly reaching down Anya picked it up and absentmindedly flipped to a page before stopping.

"And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.James 5:15" 

Setting the bible aside Anya looked over and checked her watch. Her shift didn't begin for another two hours but something in her gut was pulling at her to check on Gleb. She stopped along the way in a bathroom and redid her bun which had fallen out during the night. Continuing her way back to the ICU Anya stopped dead in her tracks at the drawn curtains to the bay as fear coiled in her belly. What if the bed was empty when she opened the curtains, what if Gleb had died during the night?

She reached out with a shaky hand and drew back to curtains, biting back a sob of relief as she saw Gleb lying there in the bed. Anya was surprised and slightly confused when she noticed he was breathing evenly and easily by himself without any intubation. Just hours ago his throat had been swollen and Gleb had been on death's door. 

"It's a downright miracle." A voice came from behind her. Turning Anya saw the head doctor of the hospital standing behind her staring at Gleb in wonder. 

"Doctor?" Anya asked furrowing her brow and looking back to Gleb. 

"By all accounts Mr. Vaganov should be dead, in fact he was for five minutes. I'd already called it after two minutes with out heart beat, but five minutes later the nurse assigned morgue duty comes running out to me, babbling something about a pulse, so I run back in her and sure enough, our Mr. Vaganov was alive. The swelling went down an hour and a half later, something I've never seen before, and I doubt I'll see again." 

Suddenly Anya remembered the chapel and her prayer. "A miracle indeed." Anya smiled sending a prayer of thanks to whom ever was watching above. 

"I'll leave you alone then." The doctor said before leaving. 

Stepping forward Anya took a seat on the edge of Gleb's bed and reached over to brush his hair back from his face noting how his blisters seemed to have decreased in size as well, but still looked rather painful. Anya looked over at the bedside table and grabbed the jar of salve from atop it. Carefully Anya unscrewed the lid and began to gently apply it to the blistered areas. Finishing Anya replaced the lid and put the jar back. Absentmindedly Anya's hand began to stroke Gleb's hair as she waited for him to awaken. Anya watched with bated breath as Gleb's eyelids began to flutter. A groan came from his throat as his head lulled to the side. Slowly his eyes peaked open and Anya smiled softly tilting her head when he caught her eyes. 

"I knew it." Gleb rasped, "I'm dead." At this Anya furrowed her brow and blinked questioningly. "I've died and gone to Heaven." 

"What makes you think that?" Anya asked, confused. 

"You must be an angel." Gleb said matter-of-factly. 

Anya laughed before answering, "No Gleb, I'm not an angel, though I don't doubt you've seen a few, especially after the night you've had."

Now it was Gleb's turn to look confused. 

"I was right to be worried about the affects of the mustard gas. It got into your lungs and airways. You were dead Gleb. We lost you for five minutes." Anya explained.

"Oh..." was all Gleb seemed able to say. "That's what that was then. I thought it was all some dream."

"What?" Anya asked, staring deep into Gleb's coffee coloured eyes. 

"Would you like to know what Heaven looks like?" Gleb asked after a short silence. 

Smiling Anya replied, "Maybe later, right now you need to get some rest, the sooner you heal the sooner you can get out of here." 

"Then we can go get some tea together, right?" Gleb asked sleepily as his eyes began to drift shut. 

"I'd like that, Gleb." Anya said smiling down at him as he hummed sleepily. "I'd like that very much." Anya whispered as she squeezed his hand one last time before releasing it and standing up once more. She cast one last look over her shoulder at his sleeping form before exiting the bay and beginning her rounds anew, feeling somehow lighter than ever before. 

"Do ever think about it?" Gleb's voice came from across the small dining room table where they both sat nursing their own respective cups of tea, Gleb blindly staring at the newspaper in his hands, Anya gazing absentmindedly out the window. 

"Think about what?" She turned to Gleb. 

"How we met." Gleb stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

"How could I not... the cheeky soldier in bay 15." Anya smirked before her smile faltered. "That was the single most happiest and scariest day of my life, though I didn't know it yet." 

"I never did get to tell you what Heaven looked like." Gleb tilted his head before placing the newspaper down on the table and standing to place his empty tea cup in the sink. 

"Oh? And what did Heaven look like?" Anya quirked her brow. 

Gleb walked back over to her and leaned down capturing her lips in a soft kiss that seemed to convey their every emotion. Pulling away Gleb took Anya's left hand in his own and fiddled with the simple gold band on her ring finger before both their hands found their way to Anya's swollen belly as she gazed at him through her blonde lashes and Gleb answered. 

"This."

**Author's Note:**

> Send in your requests to allthemonsters02@gmail.com using 'Glenya Request' in the subject box. Please leave any questions, comments, concerns, and or interpretive dances in the comment section below.


End file.
